Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence.

When eighteen-year-old Tommy Baxter declares to his family that he wants to be a police officer after graduation, his mother, Reagan, won’t hear of it. After all, she’s still mourning the death of her own father on September 11 and she’s determined to keep her son safe from danger and disaster. But Tommy’s father, Luke Baxter, is proud of Tommy’s decision, even arranging for his son to take part in a ride-along program with the Indianapolis...

Dunkum tries to hide his fear from the other Cul-de-sac Kids when they spend the night at their teacher's house.

Splat does not want to have a playdate with Spike and both are afraid to learn how to swim. When the rest of their classmates rush straight into the pool, Splat and Spike find that they may have more in common than they thought.

A young raccoon learns the meaning of bravery and a method for overcoming his fears.

As Halloween nears, Charlie and Tommy hope to get out of taking their little sisters trick-or-treating and go by themselves to Alex's upscale neighborhood instead, then attend a sleepover at Alex's house, but when Charlie learns that partygoers will be watching a very scary horror movie he panics.

Sixth-grader Jack Mogens loses his nerve after getting hit by a pitch, and has to dig deep within himself to avoid giving up the sport he loves.

Although her fearless brothers have learned to fly, a small white bird is afraid.

David Crandall suspects his father murdered his mother when he see him bury a rifle.

Greg confronts his own fears and assumes a leadership role when his father is bitten by a rattlesnake during a white-water rafting trip.